NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S DRAMATIC fight to keep his Wimbledon title defence alive against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson was halted by fading light on Monday.
Djokovic, in danger of becoming the first top seed since Pete Sampras in 2001 to lose in the last 16, had recovered from two sets down to level the fourth round tie at 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-4 when play was suspended on Court One.
With only 16 minutes remaining until sunset, All England Club officials opted against moving the match to Centre Court to play the final set.
Boos rang out from the capacity crowd as two-time champion Djokovic and 14th seed Anderson made their way off court.
World number one Djokovic will have to return on Tuesday, traditionally reserved for the women’s quarter-finals, to see if he can complete his epic recovery and secure a last eight tie against US Open champion Marin Cilic.
Meanwhile, there were no problems for Andy Murray or Roger Federer as they safely progressed to the quarter-finals.
Murray slayed Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic while Federer made light work of Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
British third seed Murray claimed a 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Karlovic to book his place in the last-eight at the All England Club for the eighth successive year.
Murray, the 2013 champion, will next face unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
33-year-old Federer needed just 96 minutes to clinch victory and goes on to face French 12th seed Gilles Simon for a place in the semi-finals.
The Swiss star claimed victory on a sixth match point against Bautista Agut, whose challenge was seriously compromised by needing treatment on his right ankle after a bad fall in the sixth game of the second set.
Elsewhere, 21st seed Richard Gasquet defeated Kyrgios 7-5, 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (8/6) in a controversial clash to avenge a second round loss to the temperamental Australian in 2014.
The 29-year-old, a semi-finalist in 2007, will next face fourth seed Stan Wawrinka after winning a last-16 clash at the majors for just the third time in 19 attempts.
But Gasquet’s win was overshadowed by the latest controversy surrounding 20-year-old Kyrgios, the man who knocked out Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.
He tanked the third game of the third set — allowing Gasquet four uncontested points — after arguing with umpire James Keothavong over a code violation for swearing, a gesture which brought boos from the crowd.
If his actions are deemed to be an act of deliberately not trying, then he could face a heavy fine.
Kyrgios also argued with the official over the length of time he was taking to change his socks.
“He was a little bit angry, a little bit frustrated, I saw that,” said Gasquet of the incident in the third set.
“Sometimes it happens. He’s not the only one to do it. Even the best players in the world did it in the past.”
French Open champion Wawrinka defeated Belgian 16th seed David Goffin 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals for the second successive year.
Wawrinka is bidding to become just the fifth man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
In the women’s draw, Serena Williams set-up a quarter-final showdown with Victoria Azarenka, while Maria Sharapova is wary of surprise package Coco Vandeweghe in Tuesday’s last eight clashes.
Williams defeated her sister, Venus, in today’s fourth round as she looks to complete the grand slam in 2015.
All eight Wimbledon quarter-finalists from last year are out of the tournament, with Serena and Sharapova the only two from the world’s top 12 who are still standing.
Gabine Muguruza knocked out former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the day’s shock result.
